Feeling good about global warming

Tonight and Friday two climate change experts are dropping into Seattle midway through a 5,000 mile bicycle tour that started in Boston. Over the past three months David Kroodsma and Bill Bradlee have logged 3,800 miles of biking and given more than 35 talks nationwide on their Ride for Climate tour.

Kroodsma got a masters degree from Stanford University and worked studying global warming. He just rode 15,000 miles from California to the tip of South America to “raise awareness of the international consequences of global warming.” Bradlee has worked educating people about environmental issues.

Kroodsma explains their cause:

“This is a problem which will effect everyone on the planet. Unfortunately, less than half of Americans believe that it is human caused. This is why we are talking to people across the U.S. – we must take action now.”

Next week Sustainable Ballard is hosting events to buoy the spirits of folks down about global warming.

The Climate Change Despair & Empowerment Road Show features
folks from the Rainforest Information Centre of Australia. “They will address our role in a ‘climate changed’ world and empower us with a renewed sense of commitment to the actions required to address global warming,” stated a poster for the event.

The Road Show is Wednesday, Aug. 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the University Lutheran Church, 1604 N.E. 50th St., Seattle. There’s a $6 suggested donation and you register here.

The next night is a workshop offered as a “follow up and deepening” of the Road Show, in which people will “gently explore our deeply felt emotions in response to conditions of our time; experience the power of our connection with the vast web of life and our authority to act on its behalf; and support one another in our work for the healing of our world.”

Whoa. That is some Earth Mothery stuff. Check it out Thursday, Aug. 23, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Woodland Park Shelter #7. The cost is $20 and you register here.

And if you just want to write a check and forget the whole thing — or better yet, put it on an airline credit card and get free miles — check out this fact finding mission from the Washington Post examining the $55 million carbon-offset industry.